MAN OF LA MANCHAA STUDY GUIDE FOR STUDENTSfor the musical based on Cervantes’s Don QuixoteWritten by Dale Wasserman, Lyrics by Joe Darion, Music by Mitch Leigh

Man of La Mancha – A Study Guide for Students 2

Introduction 4

Miguel de Cervantes 5

Timeline 7

Historical Context: The Spanish Inquisition 8

From Novel to Broadway: The Making of Man of La Mancha 9

Man of La Mancha: Synopsis 12

The Setting of Man of La Mancha 14

The Characters of Man of La Mancha 15

The Writers of Man of La Mancha 16

The Music of Man of La Mancha 17

Themes in Man of La Mancha 19

Post-Show Discussion 22

Works Consulted 23

MAN OF LA MANCHA

I am I, Don Quixote, The Lord of La Mancha, My destiny calls and I go, And the wild winds of fortune Will carry me onward, Oh whithersoever they blow!

Text by Rob Hartmann, Design by David BuscherCreated for the Human Race Theatre Company in collaboration with The Muse Machine Theatre in Context, 2009.

Man of La Mancha – A Study Guide for Students

This study guide addresses Ohio Department of Education Academic Content Standards in the core areas of Social Studies and English Language Arts as well Foreign Languages and Fine Arts for grades 6-12. The stan-dards addressed are:

Social Studies

• AnalyzetheperspectivesthatareevidentinAfrican-American,AmericanIndian,andLatinoart,music,literature,andmediaandhowthesecontributionsreflectandshapecultureintheUnitedStates.

• Analyzeinstancesinwhichtherightsofindividualswererestricted.

• Analyzethecultural,physical,economic,andpoliticalcharacteristicsthatdefineregions,anddescribereasons that regions change over time.

• Explainhowthecharacterandmeaningofaplacereflectasociety’seconomics,politics,socialvalues,ide-ology,andculture.

• Studentsuseknowledgeofperspectives,practices,andproductsofcultural,ethnic,andsocialgroupstoanalyzetheimpactoftheircommonalityanddiversitywithinlocal,national,regional,andglobalsettings.

• Compareculturalpractices,products,andperspectivesofpastcivilizationsinordertounderstandcom-monality and diversity of cultures.

• Explainhowcontactbetweendifferentculturesimpactsthediffusionofbeliefsystems,art,science,tech-nology,language,andformsofgovernment.

English Language Arts

• Evaluatethecontentandpurposeofapresentationbyanalyzingthelanguageanddeliverychoicesmadebyaspeaker.

• Analyzetheuseofagenretoexpressathemeortopic.

• Identifyandanalyzehowanauthorusesfigurativelanguage,sounddevices,andliterarytechniquestoshapeplot,setmeaning,anddeveloptone.

• Analyzethetechniquesusedbyspeakersandmediatoinfluenceanaudience,andevaluatetheeffectthishasonthecredibilityofaspeakerormediamessage. 2

Foreign Languages

• Compareandcontrastpracticesandperspectivesofthetargetcultureandstudents’ownculture.

Fine Arts

Drama:

• Explainthestyleofadramatic/theatricalworkinhistoricalorculturalcontext.

• Comparetheirpersonalresponsestoadrama/theatreeventwiththeresponseofanotherperson.

• Defendpersonalresponsestoadrama/theatreevent.

• Engageinactivitiesthatleadtocontinuedinvolvementintheatre.

Music:

• Applytechnologyincreating,performing,and/orresearchingmusic.

• Compareandcontrastseveralcultures’musicworksbasedonthefunctionmusicserves,roleofthemusi-cians,andconditionsunderwhichthemusicisperformed.

• Developandapplyspecificcriteriaformakinginformed,criticaljudgmentsaboutqualityandeffective-nessofmusicworksbothwrittenandperformed.

• Identifyvariouswaysmusicaffectstheirlives.

• Identifyvariouscareersinmusic.

Dance:

• Explainthesocialandhistoricalcontextsthatinfluencethedevelopmentofdanceinaculture.

• Explainhowdanceisameaningfulexpressionofculture.

• Explainwaysinwhichworksofdancerelatetothethemesandissuesoftheirhistorical,cultural,andsocial contexts.

• Analyzehowdanceelementsareusedtoconveyconceptsorthemesindanceperformances.

• Articulatetheirviewpointsaboutthemeritsofselecteddancesandexplainthebasisfortheirviews.

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Introduction

En un lugar de La Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme, no ha mucho tiempo que vivía un hidalgo, de los de lanza en astillero, adarga an-tigua, rocín flaco y galgo corredor.

“SomewhereinLaMancha,inaplacewhosenameIdonotcaretoremember,agentlemanlivednotlongago,oneofthosewhohasalanceand ancient shield on a shelf and keeps a skinny nag and a greyhound for racing.”

SobeginsEl Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha (The Inge-nious Gentleman, Don Quixote of La Mancha),byMigueldeCervantes.Firstpublished in1605 (witha secondpart following tenyears later),Don Quixote wasnamed“TheGreatestBookofAllTime”bytheNobelInstituteandisgenerallyacknowledgedtobeoneoftheworld’sfinestworksofliterature.Cervantes’storiesoftheadventuresofDonQuixote,the“knightofthewoefulcountenance,”andhisfaithfulservant,SanchoPanza,hasinspiredauthors,artists,playwrights,composers,andchore-ographers through the centuries since it was written.

AlthoughmanytheatricaladaptationsofDonQuixotehavebeenattempted,thesprawlingadventuresofDonQuixoteandSanchoPanzawere difficult to condense into a play. Author Dale Wasserman had the ideaofpresentingDonQuixote’sexploitswithinastoryabouttheau-thor,MigueldeCervantes,whichallowedhimtorecountDonQuixote’sbest-knownadventureswithouttryingtoretelltheentireepictaleofthethousand-pagenovel.Theideaeventuallybecamethe1965musicalMan of La Mancha.

Man of La Mancha captured thepublic’s imagination just asCer-vantes’originalnoveldid.Man of La ManchawonfiveTonyawards,ranforover2,000performances,andwastranslatedintoadozenlanguages.Theshow’smostpopularsong,“TheQuest”(popularlyknownas“TheImpossibleDream”) hit number one on theBillboard charts in 1966andhasbeenrecordedbydozensofartists,includingElvisPresley,FrankSinatra,DianaRossandtheSupremes,PlacidoDomingo,andCher.

AfilmversionstarringPeterO’TooleandSophiaLorenwasreleasedin1972; themusicalwas revived four timesonBroadwayandhasanaverageof300to400productionsayearthroughouttheworld.

The phrase “tilting at windmills” (meaning to fight a pointless or imaginary battle) comes from Don Quixote’s “Adventure of the Wind-mills,” in which he imagines windmills to be giants (the turning blades of the windmills being the arms of the giant) and attacks them with his lance (“tilt-ing” or jousting.)

A La Mancha windmill

Thecoverofthefirsteditionof Don Quixote

4

Miguel de Cervantes

MigueldeCervanteswasbornin1547,thefourthofsevenchildren.Atagetwenty-three,hejoinedtheSpanishArmy;hefoughtvaliantlyintheBattleofLepanto,wherehepermanentlyinjuredhislefthand,earninghimself the nickname “The Cripple of Lepanto.”

In 1575, while traveling with his brother Rodrigo from Italy toSpain,hewascapturedbypiratesandheldby theBeyofAlgiersasaslave.Duringhisfiveyearsinslavery,heescapedseventimes,buteachtimehewas recaptured.Becausehewasoneof theBey’s favorites,heavoidedseriouspunishment(althoughhehadtowatchotherslavesbepunishedinhisplace).

Hisfamilyfinallyraisedthemoneytobuyhisfreedom(theBeykeptraisingtheransombecausehedidn’twanttoloseCervantes).Afterward,Cervanteswrotehisfirstplay,Los Tratos de Argel, basedonhisexperienceasacaptive.Hewrotebetweentwentyandthirtyotherplaysduringhislifetime,althoughfewhavesurvived.

He was married briefly but left his wife to wander the country,working as a purchasing agent for the Spanish Armada and sometimes asataxcollector.Heranintofinancialtroublesandwasputinprisontwicebecauseofthem;duringoneofhisimprisonments,heconceivedthestoryofDonQuixote.

El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha was publishedin 1605. It became a popular success, and although it did notmake Cervanteswealthy,itdidmakehimfamous.Hewroteotherbooks,in-cluding Novelas Ejemplares (“InstructiveTales”), inwhichheprovidedthis description of himself:

“The person you see here, with aquiline countenance, chestnut hair, smooth and unruffled forehead, merry eyes, a nose hooked but well-proportioned, a silvery beard that less than twenty years ago was gold-en. Large moustache, small mouth, teeth not much to speak of . . . his figure midway between two extremes, a heightened complexion, rather fair than dark, somewhat stooped in the shoulders, and not very nim-ble on his feet . . . .”

Cervantes wrote a second volume of Don Quixote’s adventures,whichwaspublishedin1615.Hediedthefollowingyearatagesixty-eight.

Cervantes and Shakespeare

Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare were contemporaries of one another: Miguel de Cervantes was born in 1547, Shakespeare in 1564; they died within ten days of each other in April 1616. (Each is re-corded as having died on the same date, April 23rd; however, England and Spain each used a different calen-dar at this time, so April 23rd in Spain came ten days before April 23rd in England.)

They did not know one another – Spain and England were enemies at this time – and were most likely not aware of each other’s writings (some scholars believe Shakespeare may have read Don Quixote, but there is no evidence that Cervantes read any of Shakespeare’s work.) Still, they were concerned with similar themes.

From Don Quixote:

“Plays are the semblance of reality, and deserve to be loved because they set before our eyes looking-glasses that reflect human life. Nothing tell us better what we are or ought to be than comedians and comedy.”

From Hamlet:

“Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special ob-servance, that you o’erstep not the modesty of nature: for any thing so o’erdone is from the purpose of play-ing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold as ‘twere the mirror up to nature: to show vir-tue her feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.”

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ExerciseMaking the case for Cervantes

In Man of La Mancha, author Miguel de Cervantes has been thrown into prison for defying the church authori-ties. Imagine that Cervantes was alive today and had been imprisoned at a political protest. (It’s up to you to decide what you think he would be protesting.)

Write a letter to the Governor of Ohio, Ted Strickland, explaining why you believe Cervantes should be released. Include the details of what Cervantes was protesting and whether you agree with him. (You might have a different opinion but still believe he should be freed.)

You may choose to begin your letter like the example to the left or come up with a different approach.

Dear Governor Strickland,

I write to you today to urge you to release Don Miguel de Cervantes. His crime of civil disobedience is a sham, and you should reward his bravery rather than punish him.

I believe be commited these acts because . . .

A Portrait of Miguel de Cervantes6

Timeline

7Year

1547

1550

1558

1564

1570

1571

1575

1580

1584

1588

1595

1597

1600

1602

1603

1605

1607

1615

1616

MigueldeCervantesbornSeptember29

CervantesjoinsSpanishArmy

Cervantes wounded in Battle of Lepanto

Cervantescapturedbypirates,heldinslavery

Cervantes released

CervantesmarriesCatalinadeSalazaryPalacios

Cervantes imprisoned

Cervantes imprisoned again

Don Quixote (Vol I) published

Don Quixote (Vol II) published

Cervantes dies April 23

Spain at the height of its power

ElizabethIbecomesQueenofEngland

WilliamShakespeareborn

Englishdefeatthe“invincible”SpanishArmada

Henry IV declares war on SpainShakespearepublishesA Midsummer Night’s Dream

ShakespearepublishesHamlet

Spanish army surrenders to England

ElizabethIdies

Jamestown,VirginiasettledbytheEnglish

Shakespeare dies April 23*

*Although Cervantes and Shakespeare both died on April 23, at that time England and Spain were using different calendars. Shakespeare died ten days later than Cervantes.

Historical Context: The Spanish Inquisition

In Man of La Mancha,MigueldeCervanteshasbeencalledbeforetheSpanish Inquisition for the crime of foreclosing on a church. In Cer-vantes’ time, theInquisitionhadbeen inoperation foroveracentury.But what exactly was the Spanish Inquisition?

Foralmost800years,fromtheearlyeighthcenturytothelatefif-teenthcentury,Christians,Muslims,andJewslivedtogetherfairlypeace-fully in the Iberian Peninsula (the areawe know today as Spain andPortugal). The idea of convivencia (“coexistence”) was well-accepted;althoughtherewereconflictsattimes,allthreegroupsacknowledgedtheothersrighttobelieveastheywished.

Atthetime,Spainasweknowittodaywasmadeupofseveralinde-pendentkingdoms:CastileandAragon(thetwolargest),andthesmallerGranadaandNavarre.When IsabellaofCastilemarriedFerdinandofAragonin1469,theyunitedtheirtwopowerfulkingdoms.Concernedthatconflictsamongthenobilitywouldunderminethestrengthoftheirnewlyjoinedkingdoms,FerdinandandIsabelladecidedthattheywouldunite the nation under Catholicism.

Muslims and Jews were ordered to convert to Catholicism or leave the country. The conversos(thosewhoconverted)werestillsuspectedofpracticing their former religions in secret. This led to the formation of theInquisition,areligioustribunalwhosegoalwastopunishthosewhobelieved“incorrectly”(knownasheretics).

Inquisitors–religiousjudges–hadthepowertoimprisonandinter-rogateanyonesuspectedofheresy.Suspectswereofferedtheopportunitytoconfess;iftheydidnot,theycouldbetortureduntiltheydid.Thosewhowereconvictedofthechargesagainstthemwouldbeexecuted,mostoftenbybeingburnedatthestake.

Becausechargescouldbemadesecretlybyanyoneagainstanyone,withtheinquisitorsbeinggrantedalmostunlimitedpower,theInquisi-tionbecameanincrediblypowerfultoolthatpoliticalrulerscoulduseagainsttheiropposition.EventhePope,theheadoftheCatholicChurch,whohadapprovedmanyInquisitions,foundtheSpanishInquisitiontobeincrediblyharsh.Still,theChurchhierarchyoutsideofSpaincouldnot stop the Inquisition from continuing.

Althoughitwasmostactivefrom1480to1530,theInquisitiondidnotendcompletelyinSpainuntil1830.

Discuss!

Man of La Mancha takes place dur-ing the Spanish Inquisition, at a time when convivencia (peaceful coexis-tence among Christians, Jews, and Muslims) had come to an end.

Do you think coexistence is possible among different religious or social groups? Why or why not?

Are there examples of convivencia in the world today?

FerdinandandIsabella

Detailof“TheInquisitionTribunal,” apaintingbyGoya

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From novel to Broadway: The making of Man of La Mancha

Man of La Mancha was born in November 1965, as a production nobody wanted, booked into a theatre nobody else would have, and ignored by every-one except the public.

--DaleWasserman,The Impossible Musical.

SevenyearsbeforeMan of La ManchawouldopenonBroadway,writerDaleWassermanwas on vacation in Spain.As he sat in thePlaza de EspañainMadrid,hereadaniteminanewspapershowbusinesscolumnthat(mistakenly)claimedthatWassermanwasinSpaindoingresearchforafilmversionof Don Quixote. Wasserman recalls:

“ . . . here Fate rapped me on the head. Even while chuckling over the item I had an uneasy sense of someone looking over my shoulder. I turned to investigate,andthere,atthetopofthePlaza,wasthegreatmarblemon-ument to Miguel de Cervantes. At his feet were the equestrian statues of DonQuixoteandSanchoPanza,theDonridinguptotheskyonhisnag,Rocinante,Sanchoastridehisdonkey,Dapple.”

WassermanbecameintriguedbytheideaofadaptingDon Quixote. Hefoundthattherehadbeenmanyattemptsatturningthenovelintoaplayorafilm,butnonehadbeensuccessful.Hesuspectedthatitwasbecausetryingtotelltheentirestoryofthenovelwouldbelike“empty-ingalakewithabucket”–toomuchforanyoneplaytoaccomplish.

Wasserman turnedhis attention to the novel’s author,Miguel deCervantes.WhenhediscoveredthatCervanteshadbeenanactorandaplaywright,Wassermanknewhehadfoundthekeytohisstory.HewouldwriteaplaycenteredonCervantes,inwhichtheauthorwouldactout key scenes from his novel.

WassermanspenttwomonthsinSwitzerlandwritinghisplay,whichwas presented live on the CBS television series “The Dupont Show of the Month.” Although Wasserman titled his play Man of La Mancha, the networkaskedthatitbechangedtoI, Don Quixote tomakethesubjectmattermoreobvioustotheviewingaudience.Wassermanobjected–the“ManofLaMancha”wasCervantes,notQuixote–butthetitlechangestayed.

Other changes were made during the rehearsal process. Wasserman hadwrittenaspeechforQuixotewhichbegan,“Todreamthe impos-

The fateful monument to Cervantes inthePlazadeEspaña

9

sibledream,tofighttheunbeatablefoe.Thisisman’sprivilege,andtheonlylifeworthliving.”Whenthespeechwascut,LeeJ.Cobb,theactorplayingQuixote,demandedthatitbeputbackin.(Thatspeechwouldeventuallybecomethesong“TheQuest,”themostpopularsongin Man of La Mancha.)

I, Don Quixote wasbroadcastonNovember9,1959. Itwaswell-received;Wasserman thought about turning it into aBroadway (non-musical) play, but plans fell through. In 1963, directorAlbertMarrecontacted Wasserman and suggested that I, Don Quixotebeturnedintoa musical. Marre introduced Wasserman to composer Mitch Leigh. Al-thoughLeighhadneverwrittenaBroadwaymusical,hewasasuccessfuladvertising jinglewriter.Heownedhis own company,MusicMakers,Inc.,whichemployedastaffofcomposers,musicians,andorchestratorsturningoutjinglesforhundredsofcommercials.

For the lyrics,Marre commissionedW.H. Auden, the renownedpoet (who would co-write lyrics with his partner, Chester Kallman). AlthoughAudenwasahighlyskilledpoet,heclashedwithWassermanoverthetoneandstyleofthelyrics.Audenalsoinsistedthat,attheendofpiece,Quixoteshouldrenouncehisquest,whileWassermancontend-edthatQuixote’ssincerebeliefinhisquestwastheverypointoftheplay.AudenlefttheprojectandwasreplacedbyJoeDarion,alyricistwhohadwrittenoneBroadwayshow,Shinbone Alley.

DarionandWassermanworkedtogetherwell;Darionturnedmanylinesofdialogueintolyricwithlittleornoalterations,whileWassermanincorporatedmanyofDarion’s suggestions into thedialogue.AsWas-sermanandDarionworkedonfindingthesongswithinI, Don Quixote, Leighcomposedthemusic.WhilemostBroadwaycomposersfirstwriteasongtobeplayedwithpianoaccompaniment,Leigh(whodidnotplaypiano)usedhisstaffofarrangersatMusicMakers,Inc.toproducefullyorchestrated recordings of the songs. Leigh sent the recordings to Was-serman and Darion as he completed them.

Oncethescriptandscorewerecompleted,theauthorsanddirectorsearchedforatheatertopresenttheshow.TheGoodspeedOperaHouse,atheaterinEastHaddamConnecticut,decidedtoproducetheshowinitssummerseason,alongwithtwootherpieceswithmusicbyLeigh.RexHarrison,thestarofMy Fair Lady,intendedtoplayCervantes/Quixote-butfoundthatthescorewastoodemandingforhisownlimitedsingingvoice.RichardKileywascastasCervantes/Quixote,withthedirector’swife,JoanDiener,asAldonza.

During rehearsals, the creative teamclashedover the style of theshow. Wasserman felt strongly that the story should remain within the prisonwhereCervantesisbeingheld:allprops,sceneryandcostumesheusestotellQuixote’sstoryshouldbelievablyemergefromtheprisonsettingoroutofCervantes’“actor’strunk.”Marreexploredtheideaofusingmore elaborate scenery which wouldmagically appear through

W.H. Auden and Joe Darion

Compare excerpts from lyrics writ-ten by W.H. Auden for “The Im-possible Dream” to the final version, written by Joe Darion (using dialogue originally written by Dale Wasserman).

Auden:

Once the voice has quietly spoken, every knight

Must ride aloneOn the quest appointed him into the

unknownOne to seek the healing waters, one

the darkTower to assail,One to find the lost princess, one to

find the grail.Through the wood of evil counsel,

through theDesert of dismay,Past the pools of pestilence he must

find the way.Hemmed between the haunted

marshes and theMountains of the dead,To the valley of regret and the bridge

of dread

Darion/Wasserman:

To dream the impossible dream, To fight the unbeatable foe, To bear with unbearable sorrow To run where the brave dare not go; To right the unrightable wrong. To love, pure and chaste, from afar, To try, when your arms are too weary, To reach the unreachable star!

A photo of W.H. Auden10

trapdoors inthestage.EventuallyWassermanwonthebattle,andtheshowkeptitsspare,abstractlook.

Audienceslovedtheshow,weepingattheend.Still,seasonedBroad-way producers did not think Man of La ManchacouldbesuccessfulinNewYork–itwastoodifferentfromthepopularshowsoftheday.

Intheend,AlbertSelden,thegeneralmanageroftheGoodspeedOperaHouse,contributedthemoneyrequiredtoopentheshowinNewYork.TheonlytheateravailablewastheANTAWashingtonSquarethe-ater inGreenwichVillage, fortyblockssouthoftheBroadwaytheaterdistrict.The theater had a thrust stage (meaning the audience sat onthreesides); therewasnoorchestrapit, sothemusicianssatoneitherside of the set.

Although the reviewsweremixed (some critics complaining thattheshowwassentimental),wordofmouthbegantospread.SomethingaboutQuixote’sidealismandrefusaltogiveintoworldlycynicismstruckachordwithaudiences.Thesong“TheQuest”begantobesungatpo-liticalprotestsandrallies,while theatergoers returned to see the showagainandagain.Withitsflamenco-guitarinspiredscore,spare,theatri-calstaging,andinventiveuseofminimalpropsandcostumes,Man of La Mancha did not look or sound like any other Broadway musical.

Man of La ManchawonfiveTonyAwards(BestMusical,BestDirec-tion,BestComposerandLyricist,BestScenicDesign,andBestActorforRichardKiley)andultimatelyran2,328performances.

ItwastranslatedandperformedinGerman,Swedish,Hebrew,Jap-anese, Urdu, Icelandic, Gujarit, Uzbekistani, Siamese, Magyar, Slove-nian,Swahili,Polish,Finnish,Ukrainian,andninedifferentdialectsofSpanish.CastalbumswererecordedinFrench,Hebrew,Czech,Japanese,Dutch,Polish,Czech,Spanish,andGerman.

The film version, starring Peter O’Toole as Cervantes/Quixote, SophiaLorenasAldonza,andJamesCocoasSancho,openedin1972togenerallypoorreviews.Still,thepopularityoftheshowwasunaffected:RichardKileystarredinBroadwayrevivalsin1972and1977.RaulJuliaandpopsingerSheenaEastonstarredina1992revival(inwhichJoanDienereventuallyreturnedtoheroriginalroleofAldonzaalmostthirtyyearsaftertheoriginalproduction).ThemostrecentBroadwayrevival,in2002,starredBrianStokesMitchellandMaryElizabethMastrantonio.

It’sestimatedthatMan of La Manchaisproduced300to400timesayearbytheatercompaniesworldwide,puttingthenumberofproduc-tionssomewherebetween12,000and18,000sincetheshowpremieredonBroadwayin1965.

Write your own!

Write a version of “The Quest (The Impossible Dream)” for your favorite musical artist. First, read the excerpt from the lyrics in this section. What does the song mean? Put it into your own words.

Next, turn those words into a song for a singer of your choice. Come up with a rhythm or a tune for it if you can.

“DonQuixoteandSanchoPansa,”apaintingbyDaumier

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Man of La Mancha: Synopsis

Man of La Manchaissetinthelate1500s,whenMigueldeCervantesisthrownintoprisonbytheSpanishInquisition.Havingfailedasasoldierandasaplaywright,Cervanteswasworkingasataxcollector–untilhemade the mistake of foreclosing on a church. Now Cervantes and his manservantfaceagroupoffellowprisoners,whostageamocktrialbe-fore the inmate known as “The Governor.” Faced with the loss of all his possessions,includingatatteredmanuscript,Cervantesproposesthathisdefensewilltaketheformofaplay.HebeginstospinthetaleofAlonsoQuijana,“acountrysquire...nolongeryoung...bony,hollowfaced.. .eyesthatburnwiththefireofinnervision.”Quijana,havingreadtoomanytalesofheroicknightsintheageofchivalry,declareshewillbecomeaknight-errant–DonQuixotede laMancha– traveling thecountrysiderightingallwrongs.Cervantes’manservanttakesontheroleofDonQuixote’sfaithfulcompanion,SanchoPanza.

Quixotebattlesa“giant”–inreality,oneofthemanywindmillsthatdotthelandscapeoftheplainsofLaMancha.Heisdefeated,retreatingtoa“castle”–reallyaroadsideinn.Theinnispopulatedbyroughmuledrivers(muleteers);thekitchenserving-wench,Aldonza,scornstheirad-vances,makingnosecretofher lowbeginningandharsh life. (“Iwasspawnedinaditchbyamotherwholeftmethere....”)

Quixoteseestheboisterousmuleteersasfellowknightsandbelievesthe hard-edged Aldonza to be a beautiful noble lady, whom he calls“Dulcinea”(meaning“sweetness”).Aldonzaisconfusedbythis;noonehas ever treated her with kindness.

CervantesnowtakesthestorytoQuijana’shome,wherehisnieceAntoniaandherfiancé,Dr.Carrasco,alongwiththehousekeeperandQuijana’sfriendPadrePerez,worryaboutQuijana’sincreasinglyerraticbehavior.Althoughtheyeachdeclaretheyare“onlythinkingofhim,”it’sclearthattheyaredeterminedtoputastoptoQuijana’santicsandbringhim home.

WhileQuixote admires “Dulcinea” from afar, Aldonza confrontsSancho:sheaskswhyhefollowsamadmanlikeQuixote.Sanchorepliesthat he simply likesQuixote;Aldonza, alone,wonderswhatQuixotecouldpossiblyseeinawomanlikeher.Meanwhile,themuleteersjeeratAldonzaandhereccentricadmirer.

Awanderingbarberarrivesattheinn.Quixotebelievesthebarber’sbrassshavingbasintobeamagicalgoldenhelmetthatmakesitswearerinvulnerableanddemandsthatthebarbergiveittohim.Dr.CarrascoandthePadrewitnessthis.CarrascoiscertainthatQuijana/Quixoteismad,whilethePadreisnotsosure.

QuixotestatueintheSpanishtown ofAlcázardeSanJuan

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TheInnkeeper,whomQuixotebelievestobethe“LordoftheCas-tle,”agreestodubQuixoteaknightoncehehasspentanightholdingvigil.Ashemeditatesalone,Aldonzainterruptshim.Shecannotunder-stand – why does he do these things? He replies that it is necessary to followthequest–everyknight’smission.

Whenthe leadmuleteerabusesAldonza,Quixote leaps toherde-fense,leadingtoafightbetweenQuixote(aidedbySanchoandAldon-za)andthegangofmuledrivers.QuixoteisvictoriousandisdubbedaknightbytheInnkeeper.Meanwhile,QuixoteisunawarethattheangrymuleteershaveabductedAldonzainrevenge.

Setting out on the road oncemore,Quixote and Sancho are at-tackedbythieves,whotakeeverythingtheyhave.Whentheyreturntothe inn, theyfindAldonza,whohasbeenbeatenbloodybythemule-teers.SheexpressesherfrustrationandrageateverhavingbelievedinQuixote’sdreams.

TheKnightoftheMirrors,whomQuixoteseesashismortalenemy,theEnchanter,entersandchallengesQuixotetoaduel.Astheybattle,QuixoteisstruckbyhisreflectionintheKnight’smirroredshield–heseeshimselfforthebrokenoldmanthathetrulyis.TheKnightrevealshimselftobeDr.Carrasco.

The guards interrupt the story to inform Cervantes that he will soon betakentofacetheInquisitors.Heasksforenoughtimetoconcludehis story.

AlonsoQuijana,nolongerDonQuixote,laysinhisbedathome,surroundedbyhisfamily.Hisspirithasbeenbroken;heisdying.Fight-ingherway throughhis family,Aldonza comes toQuijana’s side.Hedoesnotrecognizeheranddoesnotknowhername.Shepleadswithhim,sayingthatheoncecalledher“Dulcinea,”andhebeginstoremem-ber.Sheremindshimofthewordsofhisquest–“todreamtheimpos-sibledream.”Quixotedies as thePadrepraysoverhim, andAldonzadeclares that she is now Dulcinea.

Cervantes’storyisfinished:theprisonersgivehimhismanuscript,astheguardsreturntoremovehimfromthecellandbringhimbeforetheofficialsoftheInquisition.AsCervantesisleadoutoftheprison,theinmatesjointogether,singingQuixote’ssongofhisimpossibledream.

Write the Next Scene!

What will happen when Cervantes faces the Inquisition? Did his time with the prisoners give him courage? Write a speech for Cervantes as he is brought before the judges.

What happens in the prison after Cer-vantes is taken away? Write a scene for two of the prisoners reacting to what has just happened.

In Cervantes’ story of Alonso Quijana, what happened to Aldonza and San-cho after Quijana dies? Write a scene for the two of them.

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The Setting of Man of La Mancha

Setting: “A prison in the city of Seville: the common room of a stone prison vault whose furthest reaches are lost in shadow. It has niches and crannies where the prisoners make their nests.”

MigueldeCervanteswasheldintheRoyalPrisoninSevillefrom1597to1598whenhewasfalselyaccusedoftaxfraud.Hedescribedtheprison as a place “where every discomfort has its seat and every dismal sounditshabitation.”

HeusedthisexperienceasthebasisforhisnovelRiconete y Corta-dillo; DaleWassermandrewonCervantes’characterdescriptionsasin-spirationfortheinmatesinI,DonQuixoteandMan of La Mancha. The prisonnolongerexists,butatNo.85CalleSierpesinSeville,aplaquecommemoratestheformersiteoftheRoyalPrison(Cárcel Real).

Cervantes’sstoryofAlonsoQuijanaissetintheareaknownasLa Mancha, thewide,dryplainincentralSpain.Farmersintheareahavetraditionally raised sheep and grown some cereal crops (grinding theflourinthefamouswindmills).Thearidclimatehasalsoprovedtobegood for wine production.

ThenameoftheareacomesfromtheArabicwordmanxa meaning “parchedearth,”althoughinSpanishla mancha can also mean “the stain.” Cervanteswas poking fun at his characterDonQuixote, calling him

“Lord of the Stain.”

The Royal Prison

Captain of the Guard: The cells are below. This is the common room, for those who wait.

Cervantes: How long do they wait?

Captain of the Guard: Some an hour. . . some a lifetime.

TheplaqueattheformerCárcelReal

14The vast La Mancha shown on the Spanish map

Write!

Don Quixote saw things as bigger, more exaggerated, or more beautiful than they really were. Quixote be-lieved windmills were giants, a road-side inn was a castle, and a serving wench was a noble lady.

Imagine Don Quixote is hanging out with you on a normal day. Describe three things or people you see every day, and how Don Quixote would see them.

15The Characters of Man of La Mancha

Miguel de Cervantes (who plays Alonso Quijana, known as Don Quixote):“Tall and thin, a man of gentle courtliness leavened by humor. He is in his late forties but his dominant qualities are childlike – ingenuousness, a grave and endless curiosity about human behavior, candor which is very nearly self-destructive. He has, too, the child’s delight in play-acting.”

Cervantes’manservant(whoplaysSanchoPanza):“As old or older than his master, short, rotund, suspicious and pragmatic.”

“The Governor”: the leader of the prison inmates

“TheDuke”:theGovernor’ssecond-in-command.

The Captain of the Inquisition

Inmates and guards.

Characters within the story of Alonso Quijana/Don Quixote:

Aldonza:theservingwenchataroadsideinn,whomQuixotenames

“Dulcinea”: “A savage alley cat, veteran if not always victor of many back-fence tussles.”

TheInnkeeper(playedbyTheGovernor)

TheInnkeeper’swife,Maria

Antonia,AlonsoQuijana’sniece

Dr.Carrasco,Antonia’sfiancé,whodisguiseshimselfas theKnightofthe Mirrors.

The Padre

The Housekeeper

TheBarber

Pedro,theheadmuleteer

Other muleteers

AstatueofDonQuixoteinSeville

The Writers of Man of La Mancha

Joe Darion (lyrics) January 30, 1917 – June 6, 2001After serving in theNavy duringWorldWar II, JoeDarion began acareerasalyricist.Threeofhissongsbecametoptenhitsinthe1950s;hethenmadetheswitchtotheater,writing lyrics forthe jazzmusicalShinbone Alley,which played onBroadway briefly in 1957.AlthoughShinbone Alley(basedonDonMarquis’storiesofthefriendshipbetweenArchy,acockroach,andMehitabel,analleycat)wasnotagreatsuccess,thewitandimaginationinDarion’s lyricsconvincedDaleWassermanandMitchLeighthathewouldbetherightlyricistforMan of La Man-cha whenpoetW.H.Audenlefttheproject.AfterthesuccessofMan of La Mancha, Darion wrote one other Broadway musical (Ilya Darling in 1967),aswellasanumberofoperalibrettos.

Mitch Leigh (music) January 30, 1928 – Born IrwinMichnick,Mitch Leigh studiedmusic atYale.He foundsuccessasawriterofadvertising jingles (hismostwell-knowncompo-sitionbeing “NobodyDoesn’tLikeSaraLee”).Leigh founded a com-pany,MusicMakers,Inc.,whichemployedastaffofcomposers,arrang-ers,musicians,andorchestratorstocreatejinglesandbackgroundmusicof any kind for commercials. He had written incidental music for two Broadway comedies (Too True to Be Good and Never Live Over A Pretzel Factory)buthadneverattemptedtowriteamusicalbeforehecomposedMan of La Mancha. Although he wrote several other Broadway musicals (includingCry For Us All, Home Sweet Homer, and Chu Chem), none achieved the success of Man of La Mancha. Leighbecameaproduceraswellasawriter,producinghisownwork,aswellasrevivalsofMame and The King and I. In2001,YaleUniversitynamedtheirmusicbuildingafterMr.Leighandhiswife,thepainterAbbyLeigh.

Dale Wasserman (book) November 2, 1914 – December 21, 2008Born inWisconsin as oneof fourteen childrenofRussian immigrantparents, DaleWasserman dropped out of high school after one year.Hetraveledthecountrybyhoppingaboardfreighttrains–“ridingtherails”–workingoddjobstosupporthimself.HeendedupinNewYorkworkinginthetheaterasastagemanager,lightingdesigner,directorandwriter.Hewrotemanyscriptsfortelevision, includingI, Don Quixote, whichwouldbecomethebasisforMan of La Mancha. Before Man of La Mancha reachedBroadway,hehadwrittenthebookforamusicalbasedon Mark Twain stories called Livin’ the Life, whichhadabrief run in1957.HealsoadaptedKenKesey’sbookOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest intoaplay,whichranonBroadwayin1963.

Explore!

Choose a favorite book, movie or tele-vision show. Who wrote it?

Find out how he or she got the idea for the story. Share it with the group.

A photo of Dale Wasserman

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The Music of Man of La Mancha

When composerMitchLeigh began to research themusic of late six-teenthcenturySpain,hedidnotfindmuchthatinspiredhim.Themu-sicofthetimewasmostlycomposedforuseinthechurch,whilenon-religiousmusicwaswrittenforbagpipes.

Leighmadethedecisiontouseastyleofmusic,flamenco,whichwould not actually appear in Spain until two hundred years after Cer-vantes.However, the rhythmicguitar-basedmusicofflamencowould

“sound like Spain” to a modern audience – even if it was historically inaccurate.

Therootsofflamencomusicgobacktothecenturiesofconvivencia,whenMuslims,Jews,andChristianswerecoexistingthroughoutSpain:influencesfromeachculturecanbeheardinthemelodiesandrhythmsofflamenco.

Flamenco Melody

Mostflamencomusicuses aparticular kindofmusical scale, called amode. You can hear what this scale sounds like if you play the “white notes” on a piano from E to E:

E F G A B C D E

Thismode,whichisoftenfoundinArabicmusic,issimilartotheminorscale,butnotexactlythesame(inanEminorscale,theFisraisedtoanF#,andtheDisalsosometimesraisedtoD#.)

It’sveryeasytoplayinthismodeonaguitar,theprimaryinstru-mentusedinflamenco:theguitar’slowestandhigheststringsaretunedto the note E.

Flamenco in action

These are just a few of the many ex-amples of flamenco music on YouTube.

A demonstration of the basic 12-count rhythm:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=40jjnE7ZhvI (Note that they start the 12-count on 12.)

Flamenco guitarist Ana Vidovic:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtgiYhu_kO0

Flamenco guitarist Vicente Amigo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_qzL-H3FgxM

Flamenco guitar

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Flamenco Rhythm

Therhythmormeterinflamencomusicisknownascompás. There are many types of compás, butmostarebasedonalternatinggroupsoftwoandthreebeats.Flamencomusicwasaccompaniedbyfootstompingandhandclapping–youcancreateabasicflamencocompásbystompingyourfeetandclappingyourhandsinthefollowing pattern:

Clap O O O O O O OStomp X X X X X

You can also count the groups of three and two as you stomp and clap.

Clap O O O O O O OStomp X X X X X

One two three One two three One two One two One two

You will hear this rhythm throughout the score of Man of La Mancha, especially in the song “Man of La Mancha(I,DonQuixote)”ListenforitwhenyouhearDonQuixotesing“IamI,DonQuixote,theLordof La Mancha.”

Clap O O O O O O OStomp X X X X X

I am

I Don Qui xo- te, TheLord of La Man- cha

(Thesong“America”fromWest Side Storyalsousesthisrhythm.)

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Themes in Man of La Mancha

The power of theater and storytelling

CERVANTES (as he applies makeup which transforms him into Alonso Quijana/Don Quixote): May I set the stage? I shall impersonate a man. Come,enterintomyimaginationandseehim!

WhenMigueldeCervantesfirstenterstheprison,theinmatesputhim on trial. As Cervantes leads his fellow prisoners in acting out the storyofDonQuixote,hegraduallywinsthemover,gainingtheirtrust.Bytheendoftheplay,hehasfullycapturedtheirimaginationandtheirsupport.

Truth vs. Illusion/Sanity and Insanity

DR.CARRASCO(playedbyTHEDUKE):Therearenogiants.Nokings under enchantment. No chivalry. No knights . . . these are facts.

QUIXOTE(playedbyCERVANTES):Factsaretheenemyoftruth.

THEDUKE:Amanmustcometotermswithlifeasitis!

CERVANTES:Maddestofall,[is]toseelifeasitisandnotasitshouldbe.

DonQuixotepersistsinseeingthingsthewayhewishesthemtobe:arun-downinnisacastle;araggedserving-girlisanoblelady;atatteredwindmillisafiercegiant.Althoughhehashis“facts”wrong,hedoesseethetruth:outwardlyAldonzamaybearaggedserving-girl,butinwardlyshedoesbecomethenoblelady“Dulcinea”thathebelieveshertobe.

ContrastAldonzawithAntonia,AlonsoQuijana’sniece.Althoughpiousontheoutside,inwardlysheisonlyconcernedaboutherinheri-tanceandworriedabouttheembarrassmentheruncle’sbehavioriscaus-ing the family.

Discuss!

Have you ever read a story or seen a television show or movie that changed your opinion about some-thing? What was it? Do you think a story can persuade people to change their minds? Why or why not?

From “What Does He Want of Me?”

ALDONZA: Doesn’t he know He’ll be laughed at wherever he’ll go? And why I’m not laughing myself I don’t know.

Why does he want the things he wants?

Why does he want these things? Why does he batter at walls that

won’t break? Why does he give when it’s natural to

take? Where does he see all the good he

can see, And what does he want of me? What does he want of me?

From “I’m Only Thinking of Him”

ANTONIA: I’m only thinking of him, I’m only thinking of him, Whatever I may do or say; I’m only thinking of him! In my body; it’s well known, There is not one selfish bone... I’m only thinking and worrying about

him!

I’ve been told he’s chasing dragons And I fear it may be true If my groom should hear about it, Heaven knows what he will do! Oh, I dearly love my uncle, But for what he’s done to me, I would like to take and lock him up And throw away the key! 19

The Quest/Idealism/Heroism

THEDUKE:Ichargeyouwithbeingan idealist,abadpoet,andanhonest man. How plead you?

CERVANTES:Anidealist?Well,Ihaveneverhadthecouragetobelievein nothing.

WhenhebeganwritingtheplayI, Don Quixote, Dale Wasserman knew that the most central theme he was trying to express was the power ofidealismandtheneedforagoal,orquest, ineveryperson’s life,tocounteractthecynicismandbitternesssooftenfoundintheworld.

ALDONZA: Why do you do these things?

DONQUIXOTE:Whatthings?

ALDONZA:Theseridiculous...thethingsyoudo!

DONQUIXOTE:Ihopetoaddsomemeasureofgracetotheworld.

ALDONZA:Theworld’sadungheapandwearemaggotsthatcrawlonit!

DONQUIXOTE:MyLadyknowsbetterinherheart.

ALDONZA:What’sinmyheartwillgetmehalfwaytohell.Andyou,SeñorDonQuixote-you’regoingtotakesuchabeating!

DONQUIXOTE:WhetherIwinorlosedoesnotmatter.

ALDONZA: What does?

DONQUIXOTE:OnlythatIfollowthequest.

ThesongthatQuixotesingsatthispoint,“TheQuest(TheImpossi-bleDream),”withitssimpleanddirectmessageofbeliefinone’sdreams,istheessenceofidealism.It’snosurprisethatthissongbecameimmense-lypopularandwasrecordedbydozens,ifnothundreds,ofsingers.

From the review of the original production of Man of La Mancha, writtenbyTomPrideauxfor Lifemagazine:

Debate!

Imagine that you and a friend are cousins, and you’ve just found out that your uncle has been running all over Ohio pretending that he is a knight, “Don Quixote of Dayton.” Debate what the family should do: should he be allowed to continue (af-ter all, who is he hurting? he just has an active imagination), or should he be stopped (it could be embarrassing to the family, and he could injure him-self or someone else)?

Discuss!

What do you think an “impossible dream” would be in today’s world? Can you think of examples of people with “impossible dreams”?

What are the benefits of being an ide-alist (a “dreamer”)? What’s the down-side to being a dreamer? What are the advantages to being practical/re-alistic? What are the disadvantages?

If you had to choose one, which do you think you are: an idealist, or a realist?

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It is easy to dismiss this play as sentimental. But the audience’s tearsareshednotsomuchforQuixote’sdeathasforhisundyingvalor–hisbraveryinstillbeing,intheend,hisowndream-riddenself.Inatimewhenmencomplainaboutlosingtheiridentity,ofbeingmerecogsandnumbers in a computerizedworld, the spectacle of a rampantly indi-vidualDonQuixoteiswelcome.Hisconstanthomagetospiritualidealstouchesachord,especiallyamongtheyoungtodaywhoaresoearnestlyandvociferouslytryingtofindidealsamongpoliticalrealities.

Theaudience’stearstestifytotheachinglyhumanambivalenceofQuix-ote,whoisbothacriticismandadefenseofman’sidealism.Inmakingus love him and recognize parts of him in ourselves, this absurd butmagnificentdreamerhasrevealeddeeptruths.Hehasshowtowhatanimportantextentallmencan,andmust,createtheirownreality–andhowinspiringanddangerousitcanbe.

Breaking News

After seeing the show, conduct an interview in front of the class. One person plays a television reporter; the other plays a character from Man of La Mancha.

• Cervantes in his jail cell

• Aldonza after she is beaten

• Antonia, Alonso Quijana’s niece, after Dr. Carrasco has confronted Quixote

• Sancho Panza after Quijana/Quixote has died

The interviewer should find out what happened, the character’s opinion about what happened, and what the character will do next.

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Post-Show Discussion

The leading actor in Man of La ManchaplaysMigueldeCervantes,whoactsoutthestoryofAlonsoQuijana,whoimagineshimselftobeDonQuixote.HowwastheactordifferentasCervantes,QuijanaandQuix-ote?

What moments stood out to you in the performance? Why?

Can you imagine yourself as one of the characters? Which one would it be?

Man of La Mancha hasbeenperformedover10,000timessinceitwasfirstwritten.Whatdoyouthinkdrawspeopletothisstory?WhatmakesDonQuixoteamemorablecharacter?

Howwouldyoudescribethemusic?Whatdidthesongsaddtothestory?

Why do you think the authors chose to have the “frame story” of Miguel deCervantesactingoutthetaleofDonQuixote?WhynotjusttellthestoryofDonQuixote’sadventures?

Did anything surprise you in the story?

Do you think this story could take place today? Why or why not?

Howwouldyoudescribe Man of La Mancha to someone who had never seen it?

Imagine that you are making a new movie version of Man of La Mancha. WhowouldyoucastasDonQuixote?AsSanchoPanza?AsAldonza?

Canyouimagineadifferentendingtothestory?Whatwoulditbe?

AlonsoQuijana reads somanybooks about knights, chivalry, and ad-venturethathebelieveshe isaknight.IsCervanteswarningusaboutthedangerofreadingbooksandtakingthemtooliterally?DoyouthinkDonQuixoteisaheroorafool?

DonAlonsobecomesDonQuixote,averydifferentpersonfromhimself.Isheahappier,betterpersonwiththisassumedidentity?Dowesome-timesactlikeDonAlonsoandtakeonadifferentidentity?Ifso,why?

QuixotestatueintheSpanishtown of Campo de Criptana

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Works Consulted

Anderson, James Maxwell. Daily Life During the Spanish Inquisition. Westport,CT:GreenwoodPress,2002.

Byron,William.Cervantes: A Biography. London:Cassell,1979.

Citron,Stephen.The Musical from the Inside Out. London: Hodder & Staughton,1991.

Grun,Bernard.The Timetables of History. NewYork:Simon&Schuster,1991.

Jones,JohnBush.Our Musicals, Ourselves: a social history of the American musical theater.Hanover:UniversityPressofNewEngland,2003.

Mancing,Howard.The Cervantes Encyclopedia. Westport,CT.:Green-woodPress,2004.

Richards,Stanley,ed.Great Musicals of the American Theatre, volume two. Radnor,PA:Chilton,1976.

Schreiner,Clausetal.Flamenco: Gypsy dance and music from Andalusia. Portland,OR:AmadeusPress,1996.

Suskin,Steven.Show Tunes: the songs, shows and careers of Broadway’s ma-jor composers. NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,2000.

Wasserman,Dale.The Impossible Musical. NewYork:ApplauseBooks,2003.

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